7 real cars that were used in Disney’s movie Cars

Disney Pixar’s Cars has a cult following, whether your kids binge watched it, or you did, it’s made a name for itself as one of the most loved Disney franchises. 

I recently invested in Disney + which has all three of them. One thing led to another and I found myself binge watching them for about 7 hours. 

A lot of the cars used in these movies are imaginary, however, there are a few which aren’t. So, I thought I’d share seven real-life cars you will find featured in the franchise.

So, what cars are in Cars? Let’s dive in.

McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (Lewis Hamilton)

If you remember in the second movie, Lewis Hamilton makes an appearance in the form of a race car.

This race car happens to be a McLaren 12C GT3 car. It turns out he is great at winning real-life races but not as good in cars the movie.

1942 Willys MB Jeep (Sarge)

Sarge is one of those characters who was there from the beginning but doesn’t play too much of a major role. He spends most of his time with Fillmore (see below) in Radiator Springs. Since he worked in the army, it made sense for his character to be a 1940s Willys MB Jeep. 

1960 VW Type 2 Bus (Fillmore)

If there was ever anyone to endorse peace and love, it would be Fillmore. This oil-loving character is based on a Type 2 VW bus and he is only here to spread the love and his organic motor oil. 

1959 Chevrolet Impala Lowrider (Ramone)

Ramone changed his paintwork more times in one movie than Angelina Jolie has played characters. This makes perfect sense of course, as he is a paintwork expert and is responsible for a couple of Lightning McQueen’s looks. He is based on a ’59 Chevy Impala Lowrider and he is ‘smoooothhhhh’. 

2002 Porsche 996 911 Carrera (Sally Carrera)

With probably the most appropriate name in the franchise, Sally Carrera is based on a Porsche 996 911 Carrera and she runs the motel in Radiator Springs. Being an ex-attorney from LA, this is quite a different career path but sometimes you just need to ‘slow down and enjoy life’. I’m pretty sure that was a line from the film?

1951 Hudson Hornet (Doc Hudson aka the fabulous Hudson Hornet)

Based on a real NASCAR from the 50s, Doc Hudson plays one of the most influential roles in the first movie as McQueen’s crew chief for his big race. But he was much more than this as in real life The Fabulous Hudson Hornet actually raced in the NASCAR Grand National Series and AAA stock car races. This is a big deal and very cool that Disney decided to include it. 

1951 International Harvester L-170 Boom Truck (Mater)

I couldn’t make this list without including one of Disney’s most loved characters could I? Tow Mater becomes McQueen’s best friend and does everything he can to make those around him happy. He also became a spy for a short while and was surprisingly good at it. Mater is believed to be based on a 50s International Harvester Boom truck with hints of a Chevrolet 3800 and a 1957 Dodge truck too. 

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